Other Than Blood
by darkwinterfrost
Summary: Fuyumi taking his blood was starting to take its toll on Staz. Sexually. Perhaps there was another way to sustain her without giving her his blood, although when he found it he hadn't expected it to be worse than that...


**I do not own Blood Lad.**

 **Gah! Staz and Fuyumi are so damned adorable. I love the dynamics between them. This one-shot was born from that! Enjoy**

"I can't keep giving her blood, dammit," Staz snapped. "At this rate her ghostly body is going to give up long before I can bring her back to life."

"Calm down, Staz," Wolf said in a low voice. "We'll get Fuyumi the help she needs. We'll even take her to that witch doctor that resides in the decrepit old buildings at the edge of the East."

Staz narrowed his eyes. "That crazy old bastard? That's actually a brilliant idea, Wolf."

Wolf blanched. "H-hold on a second. I was just kidding. That guy is dangerous. You shouldn't be taking Fuyumi there. He always wants something in return and it's usually the impossible."

"No, what's impossible is me giving her more blood. The last time she sucked it out of my thumb…" Staz paused and swallowed hard as he remembered last week when Fuyumi had taken more blood than she was supposed to. He'd been as hard as an iron pole, each flick of her tongue over his thumb driving him crazy until he'd almost pinned her down beneath him and did something she hated him for. After that incident he hadn't been able to look her in the eye again, had promised to find another method to keep her from disappearing entirely. But he was fast running out of options.

Staz was afraid of the next time she would take his blood. Not of the act itself but of his reactions to the act. The next time she might drive him so far over the edge he wouldn't be able to stop himself from taking what he wanted. And oh, how he did want. It was becoming harder and harder to resist her and he wanted to help her before he forgot why he was supposed to be resisting her.

 _What was the reason again_ , he wondered, before shaking his head violently. No he wouldn't allow himself to go down that path.

"The last time…" Wolf prompted.

Staz glared at him. "The point is that she is becoming too entirely dependent on my blood. And you know what will eventually happen to her if she takes more than she can handle."

Wolf shrugged. "She's a lot stronger than you give her credit for, Staz," he said. "Maybe you should give her a chance. I'm sure she herself doesn't want to kick the bucket just yet. She is a fighter."

"Stop that, I don't like the way you're talking about her," Staz growled. "And get that look off your face. Do you think I don't know your horny look by now?"

Wolf rolled his eyes. "You should _not_ know about that look and the fact that you do kinda disturbs me."

Staz ran a hand through his hair. "I don't care. If you think lecherous thoughts about Fuyumi I will knock you on your ass again."

"Again? When did you succeed the first time?"

"That boxing match."

"That doesn't count! You cheated and you know it."

Staz chuckled. "That's what losers generally say. Careful, Wolf, you're sounding more and more like them every day."

"Why do I put up with you?" Wolf growled in disgust.

"Because that's what a good friend does. Now tell me how to get to that witch doctor's place. I want to leave as soon as possible."

Wolf was studying him way too intently. He resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably. "What is it?"

"Something happened between you two, didn't it?" he asked slowly. "That's why you're in such a hurry to get Fuyumi another source for her survival."

Staz looked away, feeling the pressure once again in his crotch at the thought of Fuyumi sucking more blood out of his thumb. "That's none of your concern, Wolf."

After another moment of intense scrutiny Wolf sighed and shrugged, swinging his pole slash weapon over his shoulder. "You're right, it's none of my concern. All right, I'll tell you where to find Vesperian. But don't say I didn't warn you, Staz. Just…be careful. He's a sneaky little bastard."

Staz nodded and listened intently as Wolf began to outline the way to get to the barren lands of the East.

"Staz- _san_ , how much longer?" Fuyumi asked as she huddled behind him, clenching the back of his jacket. "This sandstorm is really bad."

Staz gritted his teeth and ruthlessly moved forward. They had been travelling on foot for hours, that being the only mode of transportation to get to Vesperian. Or so Wolf had said. He narrowed his eyes. If that bastard had been lying about this he would stake and hang him out to dry. As it was Staz was beginning to feel the effects of Fuyumi's nearness even when she wasn't sucking on his life force. Her grip on his jacket was so intense he was tempted to ask her to release him so he could gain some distance. Him being this near her was dangerous for her. He was unpredictable when he was out of control.

"Not much further, I hope," he shouted over the roar of the storm. "Just keep moving forward, Fuyumi, and don't let go of me." Ironic, since he wanted nothing more than space between them so he could think on his confused feelings.

He paused for a second, peering through the sand stinging his skin. He could use his powers to rip through the storm but then Verperian would know they were coming. He really did want the element of surprise in case he proved to be as dangerous as Wolf said he was. He wouldn't put Fuyumi in senseless danger just because he wasn't able to stand such a meagre storm.

"Staz- _san_!" Fuyumi shrieked. "It's beginning to hurt!"

Staz shut his eyes and bowed his head. This was something he had wanted to avoid but seeing as the storm showed no signs of stopping he had no choice. In a swift move he spun, picking her up in his arms and sprinting toward the shadow of a rocky outcrop to his right. She clung tightly to him, burying her face in his neck. He could feel her hot breaths caressing his skin and heat sprung up to life in him like a dragon rearing its head. He could do nothing but lower his own head to protect hers and continue to run until they were inside the structure of rocks and the sand had stopped stinging.

Staz leaned against the stone and panted heavily. Not because of running. He was hardly winded from that. It was because of his intense reaction to the woman in his arms. Every time he moved his pants rubbed against his increasingly swollen member and frissons of pleasure was shooting through him. And now, thanks to this damned storm, they had nowhere else to go, nowhere else to escape to, until it calmed down. Fuyumi was alone with him, trapped in a place with no current exit. Her fate had already been sealed.

He dropped her to her feet but she still clung to him, her little body trembling. His hands came up to rest on her lower back. Unconsciously he pulled her against him harder, hissing at the pleasure as her body fitted his perfectly. He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed.

"What's wrong, Fuyumi?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "I don't want to be, but I am."

"You have nothing to fear. I'm here with you, aren't I? I won't let anything happen to you."

"That's not what I'm afraid of, Staz- _san_ ," she said softly. "I've been holding it all in because I didn't want to burden you. But I can't fight it anymore."

He stayed silent, still holding onto her. She began to tremble even more and he worried about what she was going to say. What if she wanted to leave him? His fingers dug into her skin and she winced. He abruptly released her and she took a step back, one hand coming up to grasp the other elbow. She stared at him with sadness in her eyes.

"When you bring me back to life, Staz- _san_. I know I have to go home to my father. He's all alone up there and he needs me."

Staz had a different opinion on the matter but he bit the insides of his cheeks to prevent his snide comments.

"But…Staz- _san_ …I…I…"

"Go ahead, Fuyumi. I'm listening."

"I don't want to leave!"

Her admission widened his eyes until he was gaping at her. Had he heard her right? Did she really say she didn't want to leave the Demon World? Didn't want to leave _him_? Delight swamped him, stumping him in its intensity as he fiercely pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. She squealed as his grip tightened.

"You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that Fuyumi," Staz said in a low voice. "But why are you afraid of that?"

"When you bring me back to life I won't be a creature of this world anymore. Doesn't that mean I can't live here…with….with you?"

Cold dread struck him harder than he had ever expected it to. She was right. Once he brought her back to life she would be human again. And humans couldn't live in the Demon World. It was impossible. She would forever be in danger, from any delinquent demons trying to get back at him or perhaps even something far darker. He loosened his grip on her as despair hit him. Maybe it would be safer for her if she went back to her world.

"I lose either way," Staz said with a heavy sigh. "If I bring you back, you need to go back to your world. And if I leave you as a ghost, you'll eventually disappear completely from my life. It's not fair. Perhaps Vesperian would be able to shed some light on keeping you here when I bring you back," Staz mused. "But we can worry about that when the storm is over. Right now I have something else in mind."

"Staz- _san_?" Fuyumi questioned, staring up at him through wide pools of innocence.

Even more blood swelled in his member making him just a tad more compelled by the reasoning of that head rather the one on his neck. He abruptly released her and moved past her quickly, standing at the entrance of the outcrop. He reached up and gripped the overlying fissure above his head as sand whipped past him. For a minute he wondered if his ardour would cool down if he stepped into the stinging sand but dismissed it. He wasn't all that keen on getting a million more injuries to add to this one.

"You should get some rest, Fuyumi," he said. "I don't know how long this storm is going to continue for but as soon as it stops we're going all the way without rest."

Staz had never been to this side of the East. It technically wasn't in his territory but bordered alongside it. He wondered how Wolf had known about such a demon in the first place. The barren land had begun to get rockier the further they walked. These outcrops towered toward the sky, each and every one different from the one before it. At that point Staz was sure Wolf had been pulling his leg about finding Vesperian here when the ground began to rumble ominously.

"Staz- _san_ ," Fuyumi said, moving closer to him.

The sand beneath their feet began to shift, opening up what seemed like an abyss. Staz gritted his teeth and grabbed Fuyumi, hauling her closer to him. He didn't need her to get separated from him in such a way. If she disappeared this whole journey would have been for nothing. Especially since he had heard from Wolf that Vesperian liked to welcome his guests in gruesomely unexpected ways. Like this one.

"Keep your head against me," he said. "Unless you want sand in your face."

Fuyumi trustingly wound her arms around his neck and he tightened his grip on her. He could feel how scared she was and admired that she never said a word about it. His brave little Fuyumi.

Staz felt himself begin to fall. He relaxed his body and coaxed Fuyumi to do the same with hers. That way it would be less constricting. He twisted through the air, flipping his body around until he landed with a thud on his feet.

"That was quite an entrance, Staz C. Blood," a deep voice whispered through the darkness.

Candlelight flared to life around them, lighting up a narrow tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a hunched over little man dressed in what looked like a tiger's skin. He was barefoot and had a wooden mask covering his entire face. Staz curled his upper lip in distaste. This was Vesperian?

"Notice I'm not surprised you know who I am, Vesperian," he said loudly. "I thought that sandstorm was a little unusual. Was that your greeting to your guests?"

"But of course. One can never be too sure out here, in this space of land that doesn't belong to any territory. Now come. Follow me."

Staz pulled Fuyumi along as they manoeuvred their way along the tunnel. She kept a tight grip on his hand as he led. He kept glancing back at her to make sure she was doing all right. She's definitely a brave one, he decided as he took in the determined set to her eyes.

"I don't get many demons like you visiting me, Staz C. Blood," Vesperian whispered, leading them into a cluttered work space. He indicated a wooden bench against the far wall."What brings you here?"

Staz helped Fuyumi onto it then leaned against the wall beside the bench, arms crossed over his chest. "I want to know if there is another way to help sustain Fuyumi in this world in the current form that she is in besides taking in my blood."

Vesperian cocked his head to one side, eyeing them eerily through the thin-slitted holes in his mask. "That's a very dangerous thing you are doing, Staz."

"I know," he gritted out. "That's why I'm here. I need your help."

Vesperian was silent for a while. "You know I demand something in return, yes? I never do favours for free."

"Yes, yes, I know," Staz said impatiently. "Just name your price. I will do what is within my power to get it to you."

"Good. Very good. You are a very powerful man, you know. I would like to hold a favour with you. When I decide to make use of that request, I expect you to proceed accordingly."

"Fine."

Low laughter erupted from Vesperian. "All right. We have an accord."

"Well? What light can you shed on this?"

Vesperian immediately launched into a flurry of movement, bustling over to a large shelf with books way too high above his head for his reach. He busied himself with searching the titles until he muttered an incoherency and pulled out an ancient tome. He hauled it to a table made of stone and poured over it, flipping through yellowed pages and muttering some more.

"Can he really help us?" Fuyumi whispered to Staz.

"I don't know," Staz replied, feeling his temper increasing with every flip of the page. "Wolf seems to have his facts skewed about this guy."

"How rude," Vesperian mumbled. "I can hear every word you say, you know. I don't appreciate my skills being criticised in such a way."

"I wasn't trying to hide it," Staz retorted. "Just…get it done."

After a few more minutes of intensive searching Vesperian surprised them both with a loud squawk. He turned to face them, laughing gleefully behind his mask.

"What is it? What did you find?" Staz demanded, taking a step forward.

"There is another way to help sustain her form," he laughed eerily.

"Please. Don't hold out on us," Staz said dryly, seriously repressing the urge to fling a bolt of power at this guy.

"Sex."

Staz blinked. Then blinked again. He heard Fuyumi inhale sharply and Vesperian cackle evilly again. The little man began a strange dance in the middle of the room, weird sounds escaping him.

"Excuse me?" Staz growled. "That was the best solution you could come up with?"

"As it is written, so shall it be said," Vesperian said a little too gleefully. "Besides the blood of a noble, the only thing that can sustain a ghost's form is sex with said noble. Multiple times in one setting, of course."

Staz had no words to say. He cast a glance at Fuyumi to see a deep blush staining her cheeks. She wasn't looking at him, was squeezing her thighs together tightly. He gritted his teeth. This was even worse than he had imagined it would be. Out of all the things he had expected this didn't even crack the top fifty. And yet it was apparently their only option.

"Let me see that book," Staz snapped, advancing on Vesperian.

The little man jumped in front of the table, arms outstretched. "You can't touch the book. Only those pure of heart can touch the book." He pointed at Fuyumi. "She can touch the book."

Staz sighed. "Fuyumi, would you mind seeing if what he said is actually true?"

Fuyumi stood up and silently went over to the book, bending over the table. Her skirt lifted up even more and he felt all his blood rush south. He struggled against the urge to groan out loud. Why did it have to happen now, of all times?

"Fuyumi?" he croaked. "What does it say?"

"Exactly as Vesperian said it was, Staz- _san_ ," she said quietly.

"No, absolutely not!" Staz snapped. "I refuse!"

Vesperian was suddenly in Staz's face and he took a step back at the sudden attack. "I do not take kindly to demons disturbing my peace and then not following my order," he said softly. "If you refuse to do what I've told you to I will call in my favour. Give Fuyumi to me. The choice is yours, Staz C. Blood."

"How did it end up like this?" Staz asked with a sigh as he rattled the bars of the prison he and Fuyumi were in.

"Staz- _san_ ," she said softly behind him. "Thank you for not giving me to him."

"Huh? Are you an idiot? Why would I do something like that? You're _my_ precious treasure that _I_ found. He can damn well find his own."

Fuyumi blushed deeply but still kept her distance from him. He watched her wariness with some amusement. She was suddenly afraid of him. Or perhaps it was the situation they were in. And what he was supposed to be doing.

"You don't have to stress, Fuyumi. I won't be touching you."

"Is that so? Then I have no choice but to keep you locked up in here until you do," Vesperian whispered evilly.

"Don't screw with me!" Staz snarled, whirling around to bang the bars of the prison again. "Let us go right now or I swear I will make you regret it."

"Oh? With what power, Staz C. Blood. With what power?"

Staz swore violently as Vesperian cackled away, his voice fading away into nothing. He didn't have to be reminded that this prison they were in supressed his powers in a way Braz never could. His idiot brother would probably revel in the chance in making a prison such as this.

"Dammit, that bastard is leaving me no choice," he growled softly. He swung red eyes toward Fuyumi. "Come here, Fuyumi."

"Eh? Staz- _san_ , you're joking with me, right?" Fuyumi gasped in horror, backing up a step.

"Do I look like I'm messing with you? He's not going to let us go until I have sex with you so we might as well do it."

"But…but that's no reason to have sex! Besides, wouldn't he be winning? That's what he wanted all along," she protested.

Staz ignored the gut-wrenching churning in his stomach at the thought of that old geezer having the upper hand in the end. Still, it was a much better option than giving him Fuyumi. He had seen red when Vesperian had made his favour known. How he would have sorely liked to kick that little bastard's ass but with Fuyumi present in such close quarters he didn't dare.

Even so, it wasn't like he actually detested having sex with her. He admitted only to himself that it was something he was looking forward to, even if she was a ghost. He advanced on her as she backed away and he grinned at how she looked like a delicious little sacrificial lamb. He slammed his palms on either side of her head. She lowered her head into her chest, trying to keep as well away from him as she could with the wall at her back.

"There is no escape, Fuyumi," he said in a low voice.

Suddenly his nose flared as he caught a peculiar scent in the air. It was something so unexpected he took a step back and stared at her in amazement. Her eyes were tightly shut and she was squeezing her hands close to her chest but the scent still drifted off her in tantalizing waves, hitting him low in the gut, making him hard in a split second.

"Fuyumi," he said in disbelief.

She peered at him through slightly cracked-open eyes. "Staz- _san_?"

"You're aroused. I can smell it."

A bright red blush stained her cheeks in a way he hadn't thought possible. He found it so hilarious he started laughing. This was great. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. At least now he had concrete proof. Or he would in a few moments. His grin was decidedly predatory as he leaned in closer to her and tilted her chin up so her eyes met his.

"Your fate has been sealed, Fuyumi," he said, enjoying the widening of her eyes and the way her lips parted in a gasp.

Staz dropped his head and slanted his mouth across hers. Immediately he felt the desire flare up inside him like a tidal wave. He crushed Fuyumi in his arms as his tongue slid into her mouth to tangle with hers. To his surprise her arms immediately slipped around his neck, anchoring her firmly to him. His hands cupped her rear end and he lifted her into his erection. When she gasped into his mouth he slowly felt his control begin to wear away.

"And to think, I was worried that our situation was going to lead to something like this."

"Kissing?"

He chuckled, the sound emerging from deep within his chest. "All right, let's go with that."

He slowly walked backward until he felt his knees hit the edge of the bed Vesperian had thoughtfully supplied them with. Well, whichever way you looked at it. He dropped onto the edge, forcing Fuyumi to straddle him. He urged her closer, his mouth never leaving hers. Their surroundings began to fade away until the only thing that existed in his world was her. Her little gasps, her breathy little moans.

Staz kissed her hungrily, allowing his full passion to take over. Not that he wanted to scare Fuyumi. It was just that he wanted her to experience the best possible time with him. So that she wouldn't be able to be with any other man apart from him. Selfish thoughts, for someone who was supposed to be going on her decisions, but at this point in time, he was the one in control. And he would be damned if he didn't take full advantage of that.

In one swift move he flipped them over, slamming Fuyumi's back into the mattress. He covered her body with his, mouth moving over hers with the skill of a seducer. Time began to cease as he slipped her skirt off her, tossing it over his shoulder. He pressed a kiss on her knee, then moved slowly up the inside of her thigh.

"Staz- _san_ ," Fuyumi protested, jerking back from him. He let her, watching her through hooded eyes saturated with passion.

"I will stop if you want me to, Fuyumi," he finally said, admitting that he wanted her to come to him of her own free will. "Though I can't guarantee Vesperian will be too pleased about it."

"It's not that. I…I need more…"

"More?" he prompted, knowing where this was going but wanting her to say it.

"Blood," she whispered.

He grinned darkly. "This is supposed to be a substitute for my blood. It's the lesser of two evils, I'm afraid. This way you won't end up suffering because you're carrying the weight of my powers. So, do you want me to continue or not?"

Fuyumi watched him uncertainly before hesitantly reaching out to him. With an animal growl he pounced on her, slamming his mouth against hers. There was no way he could stop a second time. He was way past the point of no return as he hurtled head first into something amazing. And the best part was that she was responding to all of his touches and caresses so wonderfully. He kissed the slender column of her throat as her fingers dug into his back.

"I never thought I'd be that stupid," he heard her utter on a sigh.

"What do you mean?" he murmured as he licked her skin.

"To fall in love with someone who isn't even from Earth."

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. He had thought her fate sealed before? Now it was inevitable. She was bound to him in a way that went beyond the boundaries of the physical. It wasn't only the fact that his blood was running through her veins. It went much deeper than that. The connection they shared was something precious to him, even though he would never admit it out loud.

And with what she had just admitted, he was never going to let her go. He would do everything in his power to find a way to keep her with him. That is, if she wanted him to. He would leave that important decision up to her. Not merely because Hydra had told him to take her thoughts into account, but because he respected her enough to let her make her own choice where he was concerned. If nothing else, he wanted that from her.

He grinned lasciviously down at her, enjoying her little blush and the way she met his eyes head on. Oh, he was definitely going to enjoy this new substitute to sustain her form in his world. And he would make damned sure she enjoyed it too.

"You won't regret it, I promise," Staz murmured.

He sealed his deal with a soft kiss, gradually deepening it until Fuyumi was panting breathlessly beneath him.

And then he made good on that promise.

Multiple times.

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed it**


End file.
